1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic disk reproducing apparatus and a method of the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automatic disk reproducing apparatus with a disk feeding device that holds a stack of compact disks in position and allows gravity to pull the compact disk at the bottom of the stack of compact disks onto a tray for duplication.
2. Description of Related Art
Optical disks, are so-called compact disks (CDs), contain digital data such as music, text, video, computer programs, etc. that can be read out or written in by laser beams. Optical disks have been extensively used as a medium to store or replicate the aforementioned digital data.
Generally, mass replication of compact disks uses stamps to transfer data from the master to unrecorded compact disks. However, the stamp method is only suitable to replicate an amount of a thousand or more disks.
Otherwise, the cost of replicating each disk will be high and not economic. For home users or small business users, burners are another solution to replicate disks when there only several or tens of disk copies are needed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,298 discloses a programmable self-operating compact disk duplication system. The compact disk duplication system comprises multiple burners that are stacked one on another, and a pivotal transport tower with an arm that moves upwardly and downwardly. The arm on the pivotal transport tower moves and transports the disks including the master disk, unrecorded disks or recorded disks among the burners and disk spindle members. However, the mechanical structure of the aforementioned system is sophisticated, which causes high manufacturing costs. Besides, the aforementioned system is bulky and occupies a large storage space that is inconvenient to be packaged and/or transported.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,232 discloses a compact disk feeder. The compact disk feeder comprises a transfer device that elevates and spins an arm to move unrecorded compact disks from a disk holder to the tray of a printer to print the cover of the disk. After the printing operation of the cover is completed, the arm removes the printed disk from the tray of the printer and transports the printed disk to another disk holder. Likewise, the aforementioned compact disk feeder is bulky, and hence is inconvenient to package or transport.
Further, the aforementioned compact disk feeder uses the arm to remove a single disk from a stack of compact disks and transport the disk to the tray of the printer or the burner. The mechanical structure of the arm and the automatic control system of the arm are complex. The arm also requires and occupies a large area to move, which makes the aforementioned compact disk feeder inconvenient to use.
Therefore, there is a need to provide an improved automatic compact disk reproducing apparatus to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.